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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26051011">The bones buried under the garden</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account'>orphan_account</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avatar: The Last Airbender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Avatar &amp; Benders Setting, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Azula (Avatar) Redemption, Badass Katara (Avatar), Badass Toph Beifong, Bisexual Sokka (Avatar), F/M, Fluff and Angst, Gay Zuko (Avatar), Gen, Hakoda (Avatar) is a Good Parent, Iroh (Avatar) is a Good Uncle, Iroh (Avatar) loves Tea, M/M, Ozai (Avatar) Being a Terrible Parent, Toph Beifong and Zuko are Siblings, Zhao (Avatar) Is An Asshole, Zuko (Avatar) Needs a Hug, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 10:02:50</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>7,645</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26051011</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Avatar AU where everything is the same except the war never happened. Sozin was gonna use the comet to start the war but Roku visited him in a dream and was like 'you better not or I swear you'll regret it'. Plot; When one of Ozai's children runs away with knowledge that could wreck everything he has in store, Ozai hires some of the best benders in the world to go after him. The group includes the Avatar(who recently was freed from an iceberg he'd been stuck in for a 100 years and now lives with the rest of the monks up in the temples), The Blind Bandit(The best earthbender there is), The worlds best waterbending prodigy(Her brother insisted he come along as well, and he wasn't bad with a sword). Ozai sends his daughter to lead the team. However, when they find Zuko and learn of Ozai's secret plan, they all grudgingly band together to take him down and put one of the fire nation siblings on the throne.  (Sorry for the awful description, the story will be much better I swear)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>mostly its gonna be gen but maybe some Kataang and Zukka</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>40</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>108</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The room where it happens</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hi everyone! Thanks for checking out my story. Heres some stuff you should know before reading;<br/>Everything is the same as in the show for worldbuilding wise, except the Southern Water Tribe still has a lot of benders and live in a sort of ice city like their sister tribe<br/>The colonies are places where all benders are welcome and can live in harmony<br/>theres not very much hate against the Fire Nation<br/>The Airbenders were not wiped out, but they've become more secretive as the years go on, so they're hard to find.<br/>Thats about all I can remember as of now, so please enjoy the story!</p><p> </p><p>also yes the title is from a hamilton song, I've been watching it /non-stop/ for a few days *Finger guns*</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sokka wasn’t sure what he was expecting when he told his sister he was coming with her to the Firelord's meeting. He didn’t trust the Firelord, he’d done some shady things in the past, and if it was Sokka’s decision they would’ve ignored the summon. He walked next to Katara, matching her pace. His hand clutched his whale-bone dagger with white knuckles as he followed after the guard dressed in red and black. He looked around, taking in the surroundings as they were led to the Firelord's meeting room. </p><p>         The palace was dark, and made him feel trapped. There was just so much stuff in the hallways, it made Sokka feel like the walls were closing in, giving him no room to breathe properly. The stuffy curtains covering the windows, the closed doors, the whole place just radiated that it was hiding something. It was also much too red for his taste, he’d stick with his blues and whites thank you very much. </p><p>	 As the guard stopped Sokka nearly ran into them, too busy looking around to realize they’d reached the meeting room. The guard bowed low to the person sitting at the head of the table, before backing out of the room and leaving Sokka and Katara alone. Sokka unconsciously shuffled a few steps closer to Katara, his brotherly instincts flaring up. Katara rolled her eyes and walked over to the table, sitting next to some bald kid with clothes so bright Sokka felt like his eyes were bleeding. He reluctantly walked after her, taking a stiff seat on her other side. </p><p>	 Now that he was paying attention, he realized there were probably 3 other kids there. One of them, a girl that looked around the age of 12 or 13, had cloudy eyes and was wearing the <em>Earth Rumble championship belt--</em> Sokka’s eyes widened as he recognized the Blind Bandit, the three time champion of the Earth Rumble tournament. He liked to go watch the fights when he was in town, and the Blind Bandit never failed to make the fights exciting. She was sitting with her chair tilted back, her feet up on the table and her hands behind her head as if she wasn’t in the presence of royalty. </p><p>	 The kid sitting next to Katara was probably around 12 as well, and he looked vaguely familiar. Sokka leaned forwards a bit to see him better. He turned and gave Sokka a bright smile, waving to him. Sokka nodded in response, not comfortable enough to wave back. The kid had blue arrows tattooed down his arms and on his forehead, meaning he was probably an Airbender. </p><p>         Sokka heard someone clear their throat, and he turned his attention back to the Firelord.</p><p>         The final child was around Katara’s age, so 14 or so. She was dressed in elegant Fire nation clothes, and was wearing a golden hair clip with a dragon design on it, marking her as the crown princess. She was standing right next to the Firelord, looking at all of them with an expressionless face. She had her hair up in a bun, a traditional hairstyle for Fire Nation. </p><p>        “So, I suppose you all are wondering why I’ve gathered you here.” Firelord Ozai began. “The former Crown Prince, Zuko, went rogue a few months back.” Everyone's eyes widened. Zuko was a mysterious figure, rarely seen outside of the palace, and even then he never left the Fire Nation. Nobody really knew anything about him, which was unfortunate since he was- or had been, if what Ozai was saying was true- next in line for the crown. </p><p>        “Azula has been named as the new heir to the Fire Nation throne. She showed great bravery when her brother attacked her, and deserves the title.” Ozai continued. Upon seeing their shocked faces he elaborated. “When Zuko went rogue a few months ago, he tried to kill Azula so there were no threats to ‘his throne’. She defended herself well, and the guards managed to chase him off. He got fireballed in the face, so you shouldn’t have trouble identifying him. If my sources are correct, he’ll have a large scar on the left side of his face.” </p><p>        “So, let me get this straight.” Interrupted the Blind Bandit. She couldn’t see it, but Ozai’s smile fell and he was glaring at her with barely contained rage.<br/>
<em>Alright, note to self, do not interrupt the Fire Lord.</em> Sokka thought, shivering. He did not want to be on the receiving end of that glare. </p><p>        “You want us, a bunch of teenagers, to go after your son, who is much older than us, attacked multiple guards, nearly killed the crown princess, and managed to escape with only a scratch on his face?” She did make a good point. “Why should we agree to this?”</p><p>	Ozai resisted the urge to light the small blind child on fire, instead settling for clenching his fists. “I’m offering quite a bit of money for his capture, and you’ll all be celebrated as heroes for at least a week afterwards.” He tried, sliding a wanted poster of his son over to the troublemaker.</p><p>	The Blind Bandit waved her hand in front of her face. “I’m blind, remember? What’s the paper say?”</p><p>	The Airbender grabbed the paper and read over it quickly. “Says that the reward for his capture is- wow, that is a <em>lot</em> of money. And you’re paying us that much individually?!” He looked up to the Firelord, who gave a curt, confirming nod. The Airbender leaned over to the Blind Bandit and told her the amount. Her eyes lit up and she grinned, slamming her fist down on the table. “I’m in.”</p><p>	Ozai smiled, looking at the other benders gathered before him. Sokka shivered as Ozai’s eyes settled on him for a half second. He did not trust that guy, and somehow his smile seemed even worse than his glare. It reminded Sokka of a rabbit-snake. They’d lure you in with the fluffy coat and seemingly harmless appearance, before whipping around and sinking their fangs in for the kill. </p><p>	“Before the rest of you make any decisions, there are a few other things I’d like to add. Zuko is a master manipulator and actor, don’t trust a word of what he says. He kidnapped my brother, the Dragon of the West, as a hostage. When we did not meet his demands quickly, he brought my brother to the Dia Li, and had them break his mind and mold him into the perfect servant. I’d like my brother returned alive, if you do happen to run across him.</p><p>        “Azula will be with you, she knows her brother better than anyone, and is one of the best firebenders you’ll ever meet. She’ll lead the mission. However, I will not be sending anyone else with you. I’d prefer if this is kept on the down-low. It would be….. <em>embarrassing</em> if it got out. I can aid you with supplies and transport-”</p><p>        The Airbender bounced up in his seat. “We don’t need transport, we can take Appa!” He declared happily.</p><p>        Sokka raised an eyebrow, trying to ignore the Firelord's glare. “Appa?”</p><p>        “He’s my flying bison!” The boy grinned.</p><p>        “And this is Katara, my flying sister.” Sokka said, poking Katara. She gave an irritated huff and rolled her eyes.</p><p>        Before anything else could be said, Ozai cleared his throat, a warning in his eyes. The two fell silent under his glare. Ozai took a few seconds to regain his composure, then continued. "Well, now that we... have the issue of transport out of the way, how many of you accept the mission?" His tone dared them to decline his offer. </p><p>        The Blind Bandit and the Airbender both raised their hands. Much to Sokka’s horror, Katara did as well.</p><p>        “Katara!” He hissed under his breath, kicking her shin. “What do you think you’re doing?!”</p><p>        “I can handle this mission Sokka, stop being so overprotective!” Katara hissed back, kicking Sokka’s knee even harder. </p><p>        Sokka bit his lip, and, against his better judgement, raised his hand as well. If his sister was dumb enough to go, he’d be an awful brother to let her go alone.</p><p>        The Firelord settled back, and nodded. “Good. Try to bring my son back alive if you can, but if death is the only option, you’ll still get your reward money.” He and Azula shared a look.</p><p>        The Airbender leapt out of his seat. “Can we go now? I wanna get Appa ready for all the extra weight.”</p><p>        The Firelord was amused by the boy's anxiousness to check up on his pet, and he nodded. </p><p>        Sokka stood up immediately and grabbed Katara, dragging her out of the room as fast as he could. “What do you think you’re doing?!” He demanded as soon as they reached a secluded hallway.</p><p>        Katara glared at him. “I can make my own choices! Stop being so overprotective, will you? I hardly get to do <em>anything</em> back home except help with building the ice structures! You get to hunt and help dad with stuff and it's not fair! Besides, you said <em>you</em> were coming too!”</p><p> </p><p>        “Yeah, to protect you!” Sokka defended.</p><p>        “I don’t need protecting!” Katara shouted, turning on her heel and storming off.</p><p>        Sokka groaned, rubbing his face. I’ll just give her a few minutes to calm down. She’ll get some common sense in a bit. He reassured himself, taking a deep breath. After a few minutes went by with no sign of Katara returning, he ran after where he last saw her, his anxiety getting the best of him. <em>You idiot! You just let her storm off, <strong>alone</strong>, in the Firelord’s palace?! She could be hurt or dead or injured or lost and it’ll be all your fault and dad will never trust you again and--</em> Sokka’s train of thought was interrupted as he turned a corner and ran straight into Katara.</p><p>        She stumbled forwards, quickly regaining her balance, and whipped around to face Sokka. “What was that for?!”</p><p>        “You’re alright!” Sokka said, forgetting he was supposed to be angry at her.</p><p>        Katara’s expression softened. “Of course I am, why wouldn’t I be?” </p><p>        “Its just- The Firelord’s palace- you ran off- I didn’t know-” Sokka stuttered, his cheeks heating up slightly.</p><p>        Katara seemed to understand, having had years to learn how to understand Sokka’s ramblings. “Lets just go meet up with the others, we should be getting ready to leave soon.”</p><p>        Sokka looked at her like she was crazy. “What about dad?! We didn’t even tell him we were leaving for this meeting! How do you think he’s going to react when he comes back from his supply run and finds out we went out chasing some dangerous convict?!”</p><p>        Katara bit her lip, looking guilty. “I uh….. didn’t really think about that.” She frowned, rubbing her chin in thought. “We could… send an arctic owl-bat to dad, and tell him we went to the Earth Rumble Championship! That's coming up next week, right?”</p><p>        Sokka looked unsure, but after thinking about it for a bit, nodded. “That… could work I guess. Dad wouldn’t be happy, but it would buy us enough time to do this and then get home.”</p><p>        After they ironed out a few more details they found the nearest servant and requested an arctic owl-bat, some paper, and a pen and ink. They quickly wrote that they were heading to the Earth Rumble Championship, and after waiting for a bit, the servant returned with the owl-bat.</p><p>        Katara smiled and fastened the message onto its leg, before pulling out a small wooden Polar bear dog her father had carved. After the owl-bat picked up Hakoda’s scent, it screeched, then took off out the nearest window. </p><p>        Sokka let out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding, and turned to the servant. “Do you know where the Blind Bandit and the Airbender kid are?”</p><p>        The servant nodded. “The Avatar and The Blind Bandit are out in the courtyard, I can take you to them.” The servant then scurried off down the halls, leaving two confused water tribe siblings behind him.</p><p>        “The <em>Avatar</em>?” Katara exclaimed, her eyes wide.</p><p>        Sokka had an identical expression of shock. “That kid was the Avatar?!”</p><p>        After a few more seconds of surprise, they realized the servant was still walking, and ran to catch up. </p><p>        “Sir! Is it true that that Airbender kid is the Avatar?” Katara asked as they caught up.</p><p>        The servant nodded. “I’m sure you heard that some Earth kingdom fishermen found him in the iceberg and released him a few months back. He was staying with the other Airbenders and monks up in the mountains when the Firelord sent the summons to him.”</p><p>        “Why would the monks let him come? The Airbenders are supposed to be almost impossible to find! I thought they didn’t interact with the other nations?” Sokka questioned.</p><p>        “The monks thought that this would be a good experience for him to connect with some other people, and to learn the other elements.” The servant said, looking a bit nervous. He didn’t know how much information he should be sharing with them.</p><p>	“So he only knows Airbending?” Katara was very confused. “I thought the Avatar was the master of all 4 elements!”</p><p>	“The Avatar has to learn all the elements, but he has the <em>potential</em> to learn all 4 of them.” The servant said hurriedly. “And yes, so far he’s only mastered airbending. Now, no more questions.”</p><p>	Katara looked like she wanted to say something else, but she reluctantly held her tongue. The rest of the walk continued in silence, and in a few minutes they reached the courtyard. </p><p>	Sokka froze in his tracks. The Avatar hadn’t been lying. In the middle of the courtyard stood a huge fluffy bison, with grey-brown arrow patterns on its fur that matched the Avatars tattoos. It didn’t look like it could fly though, as far as Sokka could tell. </p><p>        The Avatar was grabbing some supplies from nearby servants, and depositing them on Appa’s saddle. When he looked over and saw Katara, his whole face lit up. “There you guys are! We’re gonna get ready to take off soon, while I finish packing do you wanna say hi to Appa?”</p><p>        Sokka made a face, but before he could stop Katara, she ran over to the beast. “Hi Appa, my name is Katara!” She smiled at the bison, not affected by how large and dangerous it looked. </p><p>        “Katara, get back here!” Sokka shouted, sounding exasperated. “We don’t know what that thing is!”</p><p>         “Sokka, Appa’s friendly!” Katara shot back, rolling her eyes.</p><p>         The bison grumbled in response, causing Sokka to grab his dagger again and get into a fighting stance.</p><p>         Katara rolled her eyes again. “Relax, Sokka. I’m <em>fine</em>.”</p><p>         “Yeah!” The Avatar agreed, hoping down right next to Sokka, because apparently he had no sense of personal space. “Appa wouldn’t hurt a fly!”</p><p>         Sokka looked unconvinced. “..Yeah. I have a hard time believing that.” </p><p>         The Avatar opened his mouth to say something, probably to defend the beast again, but he was cut off by the crown princess walking in. The group fell silent, all turning to face her. She had an air of authority and confidence around her, and seemed to dare them to question her. </p><p>         The Avatar shook himself and popped over. “Hi Ms.Crown Princess! Welcome aboard Appa!” He smiled brightly and gestured to the 10-ton monster. </p><p>         The princess smiled, but there was no warmth to it. “I assume this beast will be able to help me find my brother quickly?”</p><p>         The Avatar shrugged. “Uh, sure I guess. Anyways, we’re done packing, so if you could climb in that’d be great!”</p><p>         The princess wrinkled her nose. “Fine. I suppose I shall.” She narrowed her eyes, and after a few seconds, took a step forward. Making a series of carefully calculated moves, she climbed Appa, hoisted herself up over the edge of the saddle, and landed next to their cargo. “Well, are you coming?” She asked in an annoying voice, turning to face the others. </p><p>         Sokka huffed and rolled his eyes. If she wanted to show off, there was no reason he shouldn’t. He ran up to Appa and tried to do the same thing she’d done, but ended up falling onto his back, getting the air knocked out of his lungs.</p><p>         Katara and the Avatar were laughing, not even trying to hide it. The crown princess smirked, holding back a snicker. Sokka blushed and grumbled to himself, getting up and dusting himself off before climbing into the saddle. He crossed his arms and sat as far away from the princess as possible.</p><p>         The Avatar jumped in a second later, his arm around Katara. Katara moved over to sit next to Sokka, still laughing. The Avatar, on the other hand, hopped back out. Sokka was confused, until he returned with the Blind Bandit in tow. Sokka still couldn’t believe he was on a mission from the Firelord himself, much less that he was working with The Blind Bandit and the Avatar. </p><p>         The Avatar hopped over to sit between the beast's horns, where a rein was tied. “Everyone ready?” He asked, turning to look at them. After receiving a few confirming nods, he grinned, grabbing the reins. “Alright everyone, hold on! Appa, yip yip!”</p><p>         The bison groaned, before lifting its tail, and thumping it on the ground. Suddenly they were off, the wind nearly shoving Sokka off the saddle. He let out a strangled cry, grabbing on tightly to the side of the saddle. The cargo, thankfully, had been tied down, so they didn’t lose any of it while taking off. </p><p>         Sokka felt someone grab his arm in a crushing grip. He turned to tell them to go away, only to find it was The Blind Bandit. Sokka was barely keeping himself from fangirling, only the presence of the crown princess saving his dignity.</p><p>        After a few minutes Appa broke through the clouds, and flew smoothly through the sea of fluffy cotton balls. “Alright! You can let go now!” The Avatar said, using the wind to propel himself into the middle of the saddle. “I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced. I’m Aang. I’m the Avatar.” He smiled brightly, waiting for the other passengers to introduce themselves.</p><p>        “Well, I <em>suppose</em> I’ll go next.” The crown princess muttered, rolling her eyes. Sokka already didn’t like her. “I’m Azula, I'm the crown princess of the Fire Nation and next in line to be Firelord.” She said it in an ‘<em>don’t you forget it</em>’ sort of tone.</p><p>        Katara smiled. “I’ll go next! I’m Katara, I’m a waterbender. And this is Sokka, my brother.” She patted Sokka on the shoulder. </p><p>        Sokka sputtered. “You can’t just tell my name to <em>strangers</em>, Katara!”</p><p>	Azula just rolled her eyes. “What do you think we’d do with the information?”</p><p>	“I don’t know!” Sokka huffed. “Just- be smarter next time Katara.”</p><p>	Katara muttered something in response.</p><p>	“Well if you all are done, I think it's my turn.” The Blind Bandit declared, pointing a thumb towards her chest proudly. “I’m Toph, the best earthbender in the world, and don’t any of you forget it!”</p><p>	Aang grinned. “Well, everyone, this is Appa.” He patted the saddle, referring to the bison they were riding on. “And that's Momo!” He pointed towards the cargo. </p><p>	Now that Sokka was looking, he could see a small, white, furry creature sitting by the bags of food. Upon hearing its name, it perked up, revealing two large green eyes, a dark grey face, and two large white ears. It chittered and hopped over to Aang, sitting on his head.</p><p>	“I’ve never seen a living lemur-bat.” Azula declared, watching Momo with interest. “He’s quite interesting.”</p><p>	Aang grinned. “Yeah! He snuck into my bag when I left the temple.” Aang pet Momo for a bit, before turning his attention back to the group. “So, before we begin our search, we need to make a plan. Where was Zuko last seen?”</p><p>	“According to my father’s sources, he was last spotted in a small town near the Earth Kingdom. I say we start our search around there, maybe someone saw where he went.” Azula yawned, obviously bored.</p><p>	Aang nodded, and flew over to Appas head to adjust their course. When he came back he wasn’t smiling. “Azula….. The monks taught me that all life is sacred, even the life of the tiniest spider-fly caught in its own web. Can we all agree to try and take Zuko peacefully, and only resort to violence if necessary?”</p><p>	Katara nodded after a few seconds of thought. “I won’t attack unless he does.” The others nodded along with that, but Azula looked somewhat annoyed. After Aang gave her a pleading look she sighed. “<em>Fine</em>. I suppose I won’t kill him.”</p><p>	“Azula, tell us about your brother. I want to know more before we set out to capture him.” Toph said, finally letting go of Sokka’s arm. </p><p>	“He’s cunning, but he won’t attack unless you give him a reason too. He’s dangerous, and unpredictable, when he does attack, so be prepared for anything. He’s an excellent liar as well, and he can make the truth sound like a lie, or vise versa. You can’t trust a word out of his mouth. He’s power-hungry, and won’t stop until he gets the throne.” Azula explained, the lies rolling smoothly off her tongue. </p><p>         “Alright. Sounds like this dude is just <em>asking</em> to get his butt kicked.” Toph grinned, and Sokka was <em>very</em> happy she was on their side. </p><p>         Azula snickered. “I agree with you there.”</p><p>         They fell into a comfortable silence after that, and Sokka realized he was really glad he forced Katara to bring him along. He smiled as Appa continued to fly through the fluffy clouds. It was time to hunt for a traitor.</p><p> </p><p>                                                                                                           __________________ </p><p> </p><p>	Ozai smiled as he heard a knock on the door. He dimmed the lights in the room, wanting this meeting to be a private one, and not willing to risk being identified.</p><p>	“You wanted to see me, your majesty?” Said the visitor, stepping into the room and shutting the door behind him. He bowed low for a few minutes, rising as the Firelord told him to.</p><p>	“Yes, have a seat.” Ozai gestured to the chair in front of him.</p><p>	After the general was seated, the Firelord smiled. “I’m sure you’ve heard the news about my son, and about how I hired the Avatar and some of the most powerful benders to find him.”</p><p>        The man nodded.</p><p>        “I want you to follow their group. The Avatar and his bison will lead you to my disgraceful offspring. When he is found, I want you to wait until the Avatar and his group are far away from any other people, then finish the job.”</p><p>        The general nodded again.</p><p>        “I want you to return with the tragic news that the Avatar and his group were killed by my son, who you killed afterwards. Azula sustained injuries, but was healed on your ship. She will then be the sole heir to the crown. Is that understood?”</p><p>        The general grinned. “Perfectly, your majesty.”</p><p>        “Good, you are dismissed.”</p><p>        The man stood, walking to the door.</p><p>        “And General Zhao?” Ozai said, with a malicious, thin-lipped smile on his face. “Don’t disappoint me.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. On the trail</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Now that the gaangs been given their instructions, the search can begin!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The flight to the Earth Nation was somewhat boring. The most exciting thing that had happened was when they saw a pod of dolphin-zebras jumping out of the water under Appa. Other than that, there was nothing very eventful. </p><p>	Appa managed to fly pretty fast for most of the trip, despite the extra weight from their cargo and the added passengers. They would be arriving in the Earth Kingdom within the hour, so there wasn’t much to do. </p><p>	Aang hopped over to the saddle, sitting <em>right</em> next to Katara. Sokka narrowed his eyes slightly, but didn’t say anything.</p><p>	“So…” Aang started awkwardly. “Monk Gyatso and the other monks said that this mission might be a good way to help me learn some of the other elements.” He fiddled with his hands nervously. “I was- well since you all are some of the most powerful benders of your generation- What I’m trying to say is, er, I was hoping you guys could maybe help teach me some of the other elements?” He looked up hopefully.</p><p>	Toph was the first to answer. “Sure Twinkletoes, but be warned, I won’t go easy on you.” She cracked her knuckles in emphasis, grinning ferally.</p><p>	Aang looked nervous and relieved. He turned to Katara. “I’ve heard you’re one of the best waterbenders around! I’d be honored if you’d share some of your knowledge with me.”</p><p>	Katara smiled, charmed by Aang’s politeness. She opened her mouth to answer him, but was cut off by Sokka.</p><p>	“No.” Sokka said firmly. He saw the way Katara and Aang looked at each other, and there was no <em>way</em> he was giving them another excuse to spend time together. Call him overprotective, but he didn’t think his little sister was old enough for boyfriends yet.</p><p>	“Sokka! I can make my own decision!” Katara argued, glaring at him.</p><p>	“Katara, we’re only here to capture Zuko, that's <em>it</em>.” Sokka huffed angrily. </p><p>	“No! Sokka, I am sick and tired of you being such an overprotective jerk! You never let me do anything! You think I’m weak and helpless just because I’m a girl, well guess what? I’m stronger than ever! I don’t need you to be making my decisions for me!” Katara shouted at him, her fists clenched tightly.</p><p>	“Uh, guys?” Aang tried nervously. He really hated it when people fought.</p><p>	“No Aang, I’m sick and tired of putting up with him! He’s just-- I’m embarrassed to be related to you!” The water under Appa started to churn.</p><p>	“You’re too trusting Katara! We just met these people and you wanna go and teach them water tribe secrets!” Sokka shot back, ignoring the sting from Katara’s last comment. </p><p>	“I’m too <em>trusting</em>? You never trust anyone! Maybe you should open your mind a bit, instead of immediately thinking the worst of everyone! If you just let down your guard for <em>one second</em> you’d see that a lot of your paranoia is unnecessary! Why can’t you just let me do <em>one</em> thing without feeling the need to add your opinion?! I’m sick of it!” Katara snarled, and the water under where Appa was flying was starting to rise up.</p><p>	“Katara-” Sokka started, narrowing his eyes.</p><p>	“Everyone shut up!” Azula suddenly shouted. “Waterbender, you might want to calm down before you drown our transport.” She nodded to the waves getting larger by the second.</p><p>	Katara’s eyes widened, and she took a few deep breaths. The water calmed, but was still churning under them. </p><p>	Azula sighed. “Really, has nobody taught you how to properly rein in your emotions? One of these days you’re going to hurt someone.”</p><p>	Katara looked like she was about to give the princess a piece of her mind, before Aang placed a hand on her shoulder.</p><p>	“Guys, we shouldn’t be fighting. I’m sorry I said what I said, you don’t have to teach me waterbending if its that big of an issue-”</p><p>	“No Aang, it's fine. I’ll teach you waterbending.” Katara turned so her back was to Sokka, and she ignored his indignant sputtering. </p><p>	Aang’s face lit up. “Really? Thank you so much Katara!” He hugged her, bouncing on his feet from excitement.</p><p>	After everyone calmed down, Aang turned to Azula. “I’d be honored if you’d consider teaching me firebending.”</p><p>	Azula raised her eyebrow. <em>Such a pathetic pacifist, like the rest of the monks. Father always said they were weak.</em> She was going to turn him down, before she realized everyone was staring at her. Watching. Waiting. Watching and waiting and <em>expecting</em> her to slip up. To make a mistake. No, she wouldn’t. She had to be perfect, had to think of everything, had to be the golden child. She had to have a plan for everything, she couldn’t afford to show any moments of hesitation or- or indecisiveness or weakness. It was always easier when Zuko was there. She could just remind father of his failures. In comparison to Zuko, she was glowing, the child her father always wanted. The child father wanted Zuko to be. She desperately tried to think of what her father would do. He’d burn the monk for even <em>suggesting</em> that she teach him firebending. That didn’t feel right, though. She needed to make a good impression, needed them to trust her for her plans to work. “...fine.” She finally muttered, turning to look out at the ocean. </p><p>	Aang was over the moon. “Thank you so much! I promise, I won’t let you down!” He was nearly vibrating, he was so excited. </p><p>	After a few more minutes of watching the ocean go by, Sokka turned back to face the others, still a little upset with Katara. “So… we might as well get to know each other?” He suggested, cringing as it came out as more of a question. If they knew his name already, it wouldn’t hurt to tell them a few other things. </p><p>He couldn’t decide whether he was doing it because he wanted to show he was special, even without bending, or if he wanted to gather more information on the people gathered around him.</p><p>	“Well, I’m the Blind Bandit. You can call me Toph though. I’m the best earthbender there is, so don’t cross my path or I’ll make you regret it!” She stomped her foot for emphasis, making their supplies shake slightly.</p><p>	“I’ll go next! I’m Katara, I’m a waterbender from the Southern Water tribe. I’m pretty good at fighting, and healing, which I’m sure will come in handy once we get to your brother. Your brother needs to be stopped, and I’m honored I’m one of the ones that gets to bring him to justice.”</p><p>	After a few seconds of silence, Aang took it upon himself to be introduced next.</p><p>	“My names Aang! I’m the Avatar. I love animals, I’m a vegetarian, and I’ve only mastered airbending so far.” He sat back, looking proud of himself.</p><p>	Sokka realized it was his turn. “Uh, I’m Sokka. I’m Katara’s older brother. I’m one of the best swordsmen there is, and I’ve mastered the art of the boomerang too!” He grinned, pulling out his boomerang. When he got snickers instead of noises of awe, he put it away, feeling deflated.</p><p>	“I’m the crown princess, Azula. I’m the best firebender there's been for a long time. I’m very talented when it comes to my bending, so crossing me is not a path many survive.” She pulled out a file and picked at her nails absentmindedly, sharpening them slightly just in case it came down to hand-to-hand combat.</p><p>	“What’s Zuko’s skillset?” Sokka said suddenly, wanting to be prepared for the enemy.</p><p>	“Master manipulator, top notch liar and actor. Decent firebender, pretty good with duo swords. Not half bad at physical combat, good at staying on the defensive when attacked. I thought I already went over this with you?” She continued to focus on her nails, wanting them to be perfect for when she confronted her brother.</p><p>	“It doesn’t hurt to go over them again!” Sokka squawked, getting defensive. He crossed his arms and turned to face the ocean, glaring at the water as if it was the source of all his problems.</p><p>	“What was it like, growing up with Zuko?” Katara asked, tilting her head. </p><p>	Azula sighed, and opened her mouth to answer, but was cut off by Aang shouting. “We’re here!” She barely kept herself from shooting fire at him, the amount of disrespect he’d shown certainly warranting such a thing.</p><p>	They were now flying slowly over land, a welcome sight after hours of only ocean. The ground below them was dry and cracked, it looked almost as though they were flying over a desert. </p><p>	Despite the fact that they’d only been in the Earth Kingdom for a few minutes, Aang was starting to sweat. The sun was beating down relentlessly on them, and he could feel heat wafting up from the parched ground.</p><p>         “Uh…. guys?” Sokka said, breaking the silence.</p><p>         “Yeah Sokka?” Katara looked over to see what he was worried about.</p><p>         “Is it just me, or is the ground getting closer?”</p><p>         Now that he’d mentioned it, Katara realized they <em>were</em> descending. “Aang?” </p><p>	“Appa’s exhausted, he can’t keep flying for much longer. Everyone keep your eyes open, it won’t be good if we get stranded in the middle of nowhere!” Aang explained, trying to slow Appa’s descent.</p><p>	Katara looked around, and saw a dark smudge on the horizon. As Appa got closer, she realized it was a small town. “There! Aang, try and get Appa to land by that town!” </p><p>	Aang nodded, a look of determination on his face. He managed to get them a bit closer to the town, before Appa landed. Aang hopped onto his face and murmured words of encouragement while petting him.</p><p>	Azula, Katara, and Sokka all hopped down, none of them realizing that Toph might need help getting down. </p><p>	Azula wrinkled her nose up in disdain, before turning towards the village and starting walking towards it.</p><p>	“Hey! Wait for us!” Katara called to her, before turning to try and help Aang coax Appa to get up and follow them. After promising to give him moon peaches, Appa groaned and stomped after them. </p><p>	“Hey! Could one of you help me down from here?” Toph demanded, frowning in their general direction.</p><p>	“Oh!” Sokka quickly climbed up, waited for Appa to stop, then helped Toph down. When her feet touched the ground, she grinned, before punching Sokka hard in the arm.</p><p>	“What was that for?” Sokka squeaked, biting his lip.</p><p>	“It’s how I show appreciation and affection.” Toph explained, before shaking Sokkas off her shoulder and waltzing towards the town.</p><p>        Sokka stood there, stunned, for a good few minutes. The Blind Bandit had just said she didn’t hate him. <em>The Blind Bandit</em>. The best earthbender there was, and one of Sokka’s idols. </p><p>        “Are you coming?” Katara called over her shoulder, shaking Sokka out of his daze. He jogged to catch up with them, ignoring the throb in his arm. </p><p>        As the town came into focus, Sokka could start to make out some details. It was a small town, with a large water tower in the center, and a few stores and houses littered around it. There were some more houses further out, and he could hear the distant calls of livestock. The houses were all old-looking, with sagging roofs and broken doors. There were cobwebs here and there, and everything was just so <em>dusty</em>. It was annoying, and made Sokka feel like he was constantly about to sneeze. </p><p>        Toph seemed to be enjoying the dusty atmosphere, and Azula appeared unbothered. She walked forwards with swagger in her step, and a dangerous air of authority around her, turning heads and causing the townsfolk nearby to take a few steps back, making a sort of bubble around her. </p><p>         Azula had to hide her smirk. The townsfolk were afraid of her, as they should be. However, she had a feeling it wasn’t just because of her confidence.</p><p>         Nearing the water tower, Katara noticed a large scorch mark on the ground. It looked somewhat recent. She also noticed the way they were watching Azula fearfully, whispering to each other as she passed.</p><p>         “What's that from?” Sokka asked, seeing the scorch mark as well.</p><p> </p><p>         One of the people looked nervous, but after a moment of hesitation, answered. “There was this awful boy here, a firebender. He looked similar to her,” She pointed to Azula, who glared back at her, causing her to flinch. “He-he tricked us, and attacked some of our strongest soldiers.” She pointed out a few people in the crowd. They were wearing bandages, and one of the soldiers had his arm in a sling. On his back were two large hammers. “He-he attacked them with swords first, and Gow almost beat him, before he used fire and burned him.” The soldier with the two hammers narrowed his eyes in recognition. </p><p>         “Tell me.” Azula said suddenly, stalking forwards until she was barely an inch away from the women. She smiled as the women trembled. “Was there anything about him that struck you as odd? Perhaps a scar, or a burn?”</p><p>         The woman frowned and closed her eyes while she thought. “Yes… now that you mention it, he had this awful burn scar on his face.” She snapped her eyes open in realization. Her eyes darted between Azula’s, and the dragon hairpiece the princess was wearing. “You-you’re the Fire Nation crown princess! Are you searching for that firebender that attacked us? Is he on the run from the Fire Nation?”</p><p>         Before Azula could answer, an old man with a scraggly grey beard shouted. “Yeah! That must’ve been why he had the burn on his face! He was fighting with the Fire Nation!” He grinned proudly as he figured it out. </p><p>          The townsfolk muttered among themselves, nodding in agreement. </p><p>          “Yes.” Azula said, with a pointed look at the old man. The crowd fell silent when she spoke, much to her delight. “He is a traitor, trying to escape Fire Nation justice. We will add what he has done to this town to his long list of crimes. Does anyone here know where he went, or what direction he was heading?”</p><p>          After a few minutes of talking, they learned that nobody knew where he’d gone after he attacked. “Maybe you should go talk to Gansu and Sela, their farm is the one farthest from here, it has all the pig-roosters out front.”</p><p>          “Thanks!” Aang said, smiling at the people and bowing. “Do you happen to sell hay anywhere?”</p><p>          “Here, you can have this on the house. Think of it as our way of saying thanks, since you’re trying to capture the traitor that attacked our town.” One of the nearby people ran into a store and came out with two haystacks, one under each arm.</p><p>          “Really? Thanks so much!” Aang bowed again, before using his powers to lift the hay into Appa’s saddle. They’d find somewhere for him to rest, then give him the hay. Appa grumbled, but trudged after them as they searched for the farm. </p><p>	After asking a few more people for directions, they arrived at the farm. Aang led Appa over to a bit of shade nearby, helping him get settled before unpacking the hay and letting Appa eat in peace.</p><p>	By this time, A woman in her late 30’s, and a man around the same age had walked out of a house on the edge of the property. “Hello. May I ask what you’re doing on our farm?” The man, Gansu, asked. </p><p>	“We’re searching for a fire nation traitor, we heard he attacked this town recently, and we were told you guys might’ve seen where he went.” Katara explained with a pleasant smile.</p><p>	The couple shared a look. “I don’t remember where he went. Maybe you should ask our son, Lee?” The woman, Sela, turned back towards the house. “Lee! Some people are here and want to ask you a few questions!”</p><p>	A few minutes later, a small kid around the age of 8 came running out. He had messy black hair, and a giant gap between his front teeth, hinting at a missing tooth. </p><p>	Aang smiled and crouched down so he was eye-level with Lee. “Hi! Im Aang. I’m the Avatar. Did you happen to have heard anything about where the person who attacked you was heading?”</p><p>	Sokka resisted the urge to facepalm. Aang was honest, yes, but he could be a little blunt at times. </p><p>	Lee nodded. “When he was here, I heard him mention that he-he was going to find a place for him and his uncle to blend in. It was at night and he was talking to himself, so I don’t think he knew I heard.” He took a deep breath.<br/>
“He’s heading to Ba Sing Se.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Ahhhhh thanks so much to everyone who's left kudos or commented! The comments made my day, and it warms my heart to know people are enjoying the story!<br/>See you all next week!<br/>In the meantime, let me know what you think in the comments!</p>
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<a name="section0003"><h2>3. distant lightning, thunder claps</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>bit of a shorter chapter, mostly to lay the way for some stuff that happens later. Zhao's on the trail, and they've got a plan!</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>so theres a bit of a shorter chapter for now, sorry it took so long! (I decided to try and make a buffer, currently I've got like one chapter ahead, so the next update should be sometime next week! School's starting soon though, and I'm balancing a lot on my plate rn, so don't expect a constant update schedule, heh, sorry &lt;3)</p><p>the chapter title is a line from the song 'Speed the Collapse' by METRIC (Its really good)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><em>He’s heading to Ba Sing Se.</em> Katara kept replaying the words in her mind over and over again as Appa flew above the clouds. If Zuko made it to Ba Sing Se, there was a good chance they’d never find him. And he could do a limitless number of terrible things. Ba Sing Se was one of the only four-nation friendly places there was, if Zuko disturbed the peace there, it could lead to an all out war. </p><p> </p><p>“-But why?” Sokka was saying something, but Katara was having a hard time concentrating. “I understand it’d be a good place to blend in, but wouldn’t it be more smart to avoid major cities?”</p><p> </p><p>“Sokka does have a point.” Tohp chimed in. “If he’s as smart as you say he is, he would probably try to lay low for a bit, wait for things to die down before trying to get into Ba Sing Se.”</p><p> </p><p>Azula sighed, but she had been half-expecting some sort of resistance. “Remember what his majesty said about The Dragon of the West? Zuko took him to the Dai Li to mindbreak him. Uncle either broke out of it, or Zuko wants to check to make sure everything's going well.” Once again, the lies rolled easily off of her tongue, just as father had taught her.</p><p> </p><p>The group seemed to buy it.</p><p> </p><p>“So he’s heading to Ba Sing Se to mess with his uncle again, how long do you think we have before he gets there?” Toph shifted, latching on to Sokka’s arm as Appa hit a bit of turbulence. </p><p> </p><p>“Well, it sounds like Zuko attacked the town only a few days ago, and he’s travelling on an ostrich horse. I’d say we have a week at most to find him, before we have to head to Ba Sing Se.” Sokka reasoned. </p><p> </p><p>“You really think we’ll be able to find him before he heads to Ba Sing Se?” Toph asked, tilting her head slightly.</p><p> </p><p>Sokka shrugged, “I think we should at least try, it’ll take forever to find him if he makes it to Ba Sing Se before we do.” </p><p> </p><p>Azula nodded. “Yes, and who knows what awful things he’ll do while he’s there.”</p><p> </p><p>Katara narrowed her eyes. “Whats his problem? Seriously, he just goes around taking advantage of others kindness, attacks you, with almost no prompting? There must be something wrong with him, or he’s gotta be the worst person alive.”</p><p> </p><p>The others nodded their heads in agreements, even Aang.</p><p> </p><p>“I must say, i’m inclined to agree with you there.” Azula sighed, looking at her nails in disdain.</p><p> </p><p>After a few minutes of silence, Aang changed the subject. “So…. Azula, whats it like growing up in the fire nation? I haven’t been yet, I’ve mostly been hanging with the monks.”</p><p> </p><p>Sokka and Katara looked intrigued as well. “We’ve only been to the North pole, and the mainland. We’ve met a few other firebenders, but none like you.” </p><p> </p><p>Katara elbowed Sokka. “What he means is we’ve never met someone with a skill set like you.”</p><p> </p><p>Azula hid her smirk. So they thought she was powerful? They hadn’t even seen a fraction of what she could do. </p><p> </p><p>“Well, its very hot most of the time. Not cold like the poles. I lived in the Capital City, so obviously I only received the best of the best, as any princess should.” She titled her chin up haughtily. “Of course, I was trained in the art of firebending, as was my brother. He…. didn’t catch on as quickly as I did. If it comes down to a show of skill in that field, or frankly any field really, I will have it in the bag.” She smiled smugly.</p><p> </p><p>“So you’re not at all worried your brother might’ve been training in the few months since you’ve seen him?” Katara questioned, raising an eyebrow.</p><p> </p><p>“Even if he did manage to get a few new forms in, he was years behind where I was, and I’m going to be practicing while we search for him, so I assure you it’ll be a quick fight.”</p><p> </p><p>“Speaking of the fight, what’re we going to do once we capture him?” Sokka did make a good point.</p><p> </p><p>Azula smirked, and there was something…. Unsettling in her eyes. “I’m glad you asked.” She grabbed one of the bags she’d brought, this one small and black. She shook it, and they heard metal clashing against metal. “He won’t cause us any trouble while we escort him back to the Firelord.”</p><p> </p><p>Toph whistled. “Dang! I can sense those from here! Those are some well made cuffs.” She pointedly did not mention the other things she’d sensed in the bag.</p><p> </p><p>They settled into an awkward silence after that, none of them able to think of a way to spark conversation. They kept their eyes peeled as they flew over the desert, looking for any sign of the traitorous prince.</p><p> </p><p>__________________________________________________________</p><p> </p><p>Not very far away, a dust cloud was trailing the Avatar and his flying bison. It was a group of eight or so komodo rhinos, General Zhao in the lead. Behind him were the Rough Rhinos, an elite group of specially trained soldiers. Zhao was no fool, he wouldn’t have gone after the banished prince and the Avatar without proper backup. </p><p> </p><p>He knew the Rough Rhino’s were more than capable for the task he had in mind.</p>
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<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Note!</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Okay really sorry everyone, I know its been a really long wait! I have been working on the chapter, but school t e s t i n g is starting this week, so there will be no updates until that finishes! My stress and anxiety levels are through the roof and the school leech has slurped up all of my creative juices r i p</p><p>Really sorry! </p><p>Stay safe, and remember you're great! &lt;33</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thanks so much for checking out this chapter! Updates are inconsistent thanks to school. Feedback is welcomed and appreciated! Let me know what you think of the story in the comments! Have an awesome day/night! :)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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